On the 80th Anniversary of the Amiens Prison raid, The Wings Over New Zealand Show 298 is now online, Wings Over Britain: RAF Hunsdon.
In this episode I was given a guided tour of the remains of former RAF Hunsdon by local historians Denis Sharp and Jim Cosgrove, on a drizzly day. Hunsdon was a wartime airfield in Hertfordshire that was home to several wartime squadrons and units. These included No. 487 (NZ) Squadron with their Mosquito fighter-bombers alongside No. 464 Squadron RAAF and No. 21 Squadron RAF, which together formed No. 140 Wing.
The No. 140 Wings Mosquitoes took off from here to make the famous attack on the Amiens prison in northern France, in an attempt to release hundreds of members of the French Resistance who were being held prisoner by the Gestapo.
Another New Zealand squadron that spent a short time at Hunsdon was No. 488 (NZ) Squadron, before they deployed to the Continent with their night fighter Mosquitoes.
It was also home at various periods to No. 3 Squadron RAF with their Hurricanes, and the Hunsdon Wing which was made up from No. 611 (West Lancashire) Squadron, No. 154 (Motor Industry) Squadron and No. 442 (Caribou) Squadron, RCAF.
These days most of the buildings and structures have disappeared, but the airfield remains active with a small flying club with light aircraft and microlights. A memorial to those who served there can be found next to the flying club.
Listen to the episode and see photos from the tour, here:
https://cambridgeairforce.org.nz/WONZSh ... f-hunsdon/
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